A benchmark name for American-style burgers puts down permanent roots in Fremantle, with bespoke beers and bourbon milkshakes playing support cast.
Short Order has come a long way in five years. Started by Simon Kony as a side hustle in Fremantle in 2015, then expanding to the CBD in 2018, they’re finally going steady back where it all began with a permanent setup on William Street.
If the tone is ’50s-style American diner – a bar and a central grill complemented by pendant lights and retro-styled tables – these are very much burgers for now, the patties made with organic, grass-fed Blackwood Valley beef, layered with American cheddar and mozzarella and wedged between brioche with house pickles and burger sauce.
These are very much burgers for now, the patties made with organic, grass-fed Blackwood Valley beef, layered with American cheddar and smoked mozzarella and wedged between brioche with house pickles and special sauce.
On the chicken side, a crisp battered thigh with a touch of sriracha makes up the bulk of the standard, while the Nashville ups the temperature with added chilli oil and “dust” and a lick of comeback sauce. Thin-cut fries are crisp and hot, and spiced buffalo cauliflower (a fine match with a cut-above vegetarian burger made with beetroot and lupin) is kept in check in with a tangy blue-cheese ranch. True to form, the tone is relaxed with service erring to fast and efficient, and a casual crowd dominated by Freo locals.
This also marks the first time Short Order has been licensed, and Kony is jumping at the opportunity, enlisting Rocky Ridge Brewing Co to create a Short Order lager to go with another half-dozen beer options, mixing a tight list of cocktails and spiking milkshakes built on Stampede Gelato with shots of bourbon.
Wine stays local with Margaret River biodynamic estate Blind Corner taking care of the house drops (including a juicy pet-nat), with extras from boutique WA producers Local Weirdos and Old Mate. If this is the standard, then Short Order looks set to enjoy a long welcome.
